Philosophy of Teaching Statement
Core Objectives & Foundational Beliefs
Beyond the central purpose of co-creating knowledge with students, as an instructor, my core objectives are as follows: (a) foster critical thinking; (b) inspire sharing of multiple, diverse perspectives; (c) encourage and cultivate self-understanding; (d) provoke analysis and questioning of the status quo (i.e. Why is something the way it is? Should it be that way?). Overall, my teaching philosophy is founded on three underlying assumptions: (1) student-student and student-faculty engagement are integral to student success; (2) effective communication is instrumental to the acquisition of knowledge; (3) learning is accomplished in a variety of ways (i.e. instruction must account for multiple intelligences).
Teaching Style & Strategies
My four primary goals outlined above influence my overall teaching style and inform specific instructional and facilitation strategies I enact. While any course has fundamental information to disseminate, I believe the classroom serves as an environment for critical thinking and the cultivation of diverse thought (a & b). This is accomplished through the presence of trust, built on genuine relationships (1). Given this belief, discussion is central to my teaching style. I believe community-building is paramount to student success and instructional efficacy. Relationships are derived from conversations and it is my responsibility as an instructor to provide space for this in the classroom.
While a discussion-centered course may appear unregulated, I also believe structure is equally important to classroom success. Discussions are guided by pre-constructed questions, but students direct conversations based on relevancy and interest. Furthermore, I typically organize class content through the use of a simple, yet engaging PowerPoint. This PowerPoint begins with a slide outlining the big picture (i.e. main theme of the day), followed by a detailed agenda, discussion questions, and interactive components (e.g. activities, videos, images, trivia questions). These structural decisions are rooted in my assumption that effective communication is instrumental to learning (2). I believe clarity - both visual and verbal - provides students with context and an understanding of where the class is headed and how we are going to get there.
Given my core objective of self-understanding (c) - in partnership with my underlying assumption that multiple intelligences should be acknowledged (3) - creativity is a core component of my teaching philosophy. To me, creativity is about challenging the limitations. The physical classroom and our understanding of what it means to learn can limit how we teach. I always ask myself, “How can I do this differently? How can this be more effective?” Given this, I strive to include activities that involve various ways of learning such as interpersonal, verbal-linguistic, visual-spatial, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, and intrapersonal. This may include a combination of contextual lecture, informative videos, small and large group discussions, in-class projects, and out-of-class group work.
Lastly, I believe the classroom provides opportunities for students to analyze and question the status quo (i.e. Why is something the way it is? Should it be that way?) (d). This may be the status quo of society at large, or the status quo of their personal lives. I value questioning the norm because I do not believe in settling for mediocrity. The second we begin to tolerate mediocrity is the exact moment we stop progressing toward something better–whether that is bettering our institution, our students, our colleagues, or ourselves. It is my objective as an educator to inspire this critical analysis.
Assessment Methods
While I believe strongly in the goals outline above, learning and student success are never guaranteed. Even if I successfully enact all of the aforementioned beliefs and goals, unmet student needs may persist; this is why I strongly believe in conducting informal and formal assessments throughout the semester. In the past this has been accomplished through written reflections, anonymous surveys, and in-class discussions. I analyze the responses and synthesize the feedback into themes and overarching patterns. In response, I outline tangible - yet realistic - changes that can be made for the duration of the course which we then discuss as a class. As an instructor who values critical analysis, I believe this should be modeled in the classroom. While I hold myself accountable to enact change, I also hold my students accountable. If they are not contributing to classroom dialogue, we will discuss this. If they are negatively impacting classroom climate, we will brainstorm ways to improve this. If students believe an assignment is ineffective, and can conceptualize and justify a beneficial and creative alternative, I value this. Critical thinking is foundational to the classroom and co-creation of knowledge is central to my pedagogical style.
Conclusion
As an educator, I work to foster critical thinking, self-understanding, multiple perspectives, and challenging of the status quo. I believe this can be done through genuine engagement, effective communication, and teaching styles that account for multiple ways of learning.